where would you live?

catrionanic

Hi all

In the New Year, I'll be starting a job in Liffey Valley and my husband-to-be will be working near the Convention Centre. We have one car between us.

We are trying to decide where would be best for us to buy a house, in terms of the commute being as least-difficult as possible. I'm a Dublin newbie, and he is even newer, so neither of us have much of a clue!

Ideally we'd be looking for an area which is quiet, safe, and a good location for us to start a family.

What would you do?

Catherine

FreudianSlippers

catrionanic wrote: »

Hi all

In the New Year, I'll be starting a job in Liffey Valley and my husband-to-be will be working near the Convention Centre. We have one car between us.

We are trying to decide where would be best for us to buy a house, in terms of the commute being as least-difficult as possible. I'm a Dublin newbie, and he is even newer, so neither of us have much of a clue!

Ideally we'd be looking for an area which is quiet, safe, and a good location for us to start a family.

What would you do?

Catherine

What's your budget? House requirements (number of bedrooms, garden, apartment, etc)?

catrionanic

FreudianSlippers wrote: »

What's your budget? House requirements (number of bedrooms, garden, apartment, etc)?

Approx 350k

Ideally 3-bed but flexible. Would prefer a house with a wee bit of a garden as better for a young family.

Also don't mind taking on something that needs a bit of work doing on it

Michael D Not Higgins

I'd look around Lucan, nice area, buses along the N4 straight into the city and it's not far from Liffey Valley.

FreudianSlippers

Lucan would be good. I'd say your husband should get the train or bus into work due to traffic. That might be a consideration

jonnybravo

You could consider somewhere around Clonsilla either. Your husband could get the train direct into Convention Centre (Docklands train) and you could use the car to get to Liffey Valley which wouldn't be that far away either.

FreudianSlippers

jonnybravo wrote: »

You could consider somewhere around Clonsilla either. Your husband could get the train direct into Convention Centre (Docklands train) and you could use the car to get to Liffey Valley which wouldn't be that far away either.

I was thinking there or blanchardstown. Castleknock may be out of the price range now but no harm in looking

TheBandicoot

Why buying if you are both extremely new to the area? Why not rent for a while until you settle into the jobs and the city, then buy..

Peter Anthony

Kildare. Dont tie yourself down in Dublin at least before renting, although the rents are extortionate but thats Dublin.

ProudDUB

TheBandicoot wrote: »

Why buying if you are both extremely new to the area? Why not rent for a while until you settle into the jobs and the city, then buy..

Agree with this 100%. Unless both of you know Dublin very well, I wouldn't take the plunge of buying a house, based purely on the suggestions of others. Live here for a year, figure out the things about it that you like/don't like & then buy.

catrionanic

Well I've been in Dublin a year and a bit myself, but without a car and getting public transport to and from work. So I still don't really know the place much.

We are planning to rent while we look for somewhere to live. So likely for six months or more.

What would the commute from Lucan be like? I thought it was quite far out? I stayed in Ongar for a while and got buses into town and the bus used to take well over an hour!

My hubby is a keen cyclist so I was originally thinking of chapelizod also - close enough to town that his commute wouldn't be too long, and not hard to get out to liffey valley either.

catrionanic

Also would I have to go through the M50 toll each day from Lucan/Blanch/Clonsilla?

tampopo

From Blanch and Clonsilla yeah, but not Lucan.

Aard

Unless they're both good permanent jobs, there's no point in buying in Lucan or some western suburb. What if your next job is in Blackrock or the likes? Better off renting somewhere like Dublin 8 and bussing it out to Liffey Valley until you've got the lay of the land.

hfallada

Peter Anthony wrote: »

Kildare. Dont tie yourself down in Dublin at least before renting, although the rents are extortionate but thats Dublin.

But the last thing someone wants is a bus that goes every hour to Dublin city or being stuck in traffic as they choose to live on Kildare to save a small bit on rent. OP you might get a terraced house in phisboro or drumcondra for that price. You can get the bus to Liffey valley from phisboro and convention centre is cycling distance

designbydan

House next door is up for sale for I think 320K, in middle of dublin 8, cycle to docklands in about 10-15 mins and the bus to Liffey Valley is just down the road It takes around 40 mins on the bus to get there, sometimes more, sometimes less, depends on traffic

Also I'm a pleasure to live next to haha

Actually theres loads of houses in this area (Tenters) for your price range.

handlemaster

Blanchardstown clonsilla hartstown huntstown castleknock. Good areas. Close to the shopping centre which is like a little town in itself at this stage.

http://www.blanchardstowncentre.ie

236 to liffey valley

http://www.dublinbus.ie/en/Route-Planner/Route-Planner/

http://www.dublintourist.com/towns/blanchardstown/

January

239 to liffey valley

JuliusCaesar

Unless you are totally sure that these are jobs for life, I'd be guided by my own preferences. Do you like city living? Do you prefer suburbs? Would you like to live on the coast? Near the mountains? Do you travel home to your original families a lot? I'm assuming you don't have children yet - would schools be a consideration?

Being happy with where you live will make up for inconvenient commutes, especially if you will probably be in the house 20-odd years, and can change jobs if it's too awkward.

Again, I'd say rent for a while and spend the weekends looking at houses/areas for the next year. It is the most important and most expensive purchase you will make in a long time, so it's worth putting the work in.

indigo twist

tampopo wrote: »

From Blanch and Clonsilla yeah, but not Lucan.

I never go on the M50 ... There are other routes to get to Liffey Valley. I'd go via Lucan. I'm not even sure that's the fastest way, I'm relatively new to Clonsilla myself!

By the way I'd definitely recommend Clonsilla/Coolmine/Carpenterstown. Lovely areas, plenty of schools and green areas, lots of public transport options. Walking distance to the shopping centre. There are three bed semi detached houses going in my estate for 270/280.

Brainz

palmerstown I think would be ideal for you

catrionanic

Oh wow, a lot of options! Thanks everyone, very helpful.